GISMUND

"OVaine, unsteadfast state of mortal things, "Who trusts this world, leans to a brittle stay, "Such fickle fruit, his flattering bloom forth brings "Ere it be ripe, it falls to decay, The joy and bliss that late I did possess, In weal at will, with one I loved best, Is turned now into so deep distress, As teaches me to know the world's unrest. For neither wit nor princely stomachs serve Against his force that slays without respect, The noble and the wretch: ne does reserve, So much as one, for worthiness elect. Ah me deer Lord, what well of tears may serve To feed the streams of my foredulled eyes, To weep thy death, as thy death does deserve, And wail thy want in full sufficing wise. You lamps of heaven, and all you heavenly powers, Wherein did he procure your high disdain, He never sought with vast huge mounting towers To reach aloft, and overview your reign, Or what offence of mine was it unwares, That thus your fury should on me be thrown, To plague a woman with such endless cares, I fear that envy hath the heavens this shown. The Sun his glorious virtues did disdain, Mars at his manhood mightily repind, Yea all the Gods no longer could sustain, Each one to be excelled in his kind. For he my Lord surpassed them every one, Such was his honour all the world throughout, But now my love, o whither art thou gone? I know thy ghost does hover here about, Expecting me (thy heart) to follow thee: And I (deer love) would feign dissolve this rife, But stay a while, I may perhaps foresee Some means to be disburdend of this life, And to discharge the duty of a wife, Which is, not only in this life to love, But after death her fancy not remove. Mean while accept of these our daily rites, Which with my maidens I shall do to thee, Which is, in songs to cheer our dying spirits With hymns of praises of thy memory. Deer Aunt, my sole companion in distress, And true copartner of my thoughtful cares: When with my self, I way my present state, Comparing it with my forepassed days, New heaps of cares, afresh beginnet' assay My pensive heart: as when the glittering rays, Of bright Phœbus, are suddenly overspread, With dusky clouds, that dim his golden light, Namely, when I, laid in my widows bed, Amid the silence, of the quiet night, With curious thought, the fleeting course observe, Of gladsome youth: how soon his flower decays. How time once passed, may never have recourse, No more then may the running streams revert, To climb the hills, when they been rolled down The hollow vales, there is no curious art, Norworldlie power, no not the gods can hold The sway of flying time, nor him return When he is passed: all things unto his might Must bend, and yield, unto the Iron teeth Of eating time: this in the shedy night, When I record, how soon my youth withdraws It self away, how swift my pleasant spring Runs out his raze, this this (Aunt) is the cause. When I advise me sadly on this thing, That makes my heart, in pensive dumps dismayed. For if I should, my springing years neglect. And suffer youth, fruitless to fade away: Whereto live I? or whereto was I born? Wherefore hath nature decked me with her grace? Why have I tasted the delights of love? And felt the sweets of Hymeneus bed? But to say sooth (deer Aunt) it is not I Sole and alone, can thus content to spend My cheerful years: my father will not still Prolong my mournings, which have grieved him, And pleased me too long. Then this I crave, To be resolved of his princely mind. For, stood it with the pleasure of his will To marry me, my fortune is not such, So hard, that I so long should still persist Makeless alone in woeful widowhood, And shall I tell mine Aunt? come hither then, Give me that hand, by thine own right hand, I charge thy heart my counsels to conceal. Late have I seen, and seeing, took delight, And with delight, I will not say, I love, A Prince, and Earl, a County in the Court. But love and duty force me to refrain, And driven away these found affections, Submitting them unto my father's hest. But this (good Aunt) this is my chiefest pain, Because I stand at such uncertain stay. For if my kingly father would decree His final doom, that I must lead my life Such as I do, I would content me then To frame my fancies to his princely hest, And as I might, endure the grief thereof. But now his silence doubles all my doubts, Whilst my suspicious thoughts betwixt hope & fear, Distract me into sundry passion. Therefore (good Aunt) this labour must be yours, To understand my father's will herein: For well I know your wisdom knows the means, So shall you both allay my stormy thoughts, And bring to quiet my unquiet mind. Tell me not of the date of nature's days, Then in the April of her springing age: No, no, it was my cruel destiny, That spited at the pleasance of my life. Cursed be the stars, and vanish may they cursed, Or fallen from heaven, that in the dire aspect, Abridgde the health and welfare of my love. What hope of hap may cheer my hapless chance What sighs, what tears may countervail my cares? What should I do, but still his death bewail, That was the solace of my life and soul? Now, now I want the wonted guide and stay Of my desires, and of my wreakless thoughts, My Lord, my love, my life, my liking gone, In whom was all the fullness of my joy, To whom I gave the first fruits of my love, Who with the comfort of his only sighed, All cares and sorrows could from me remembering we. But father, now my joys forepast to tell, Do but revive the horrors of my hell. As she that seems in darkness to behold The gladsome pleasures of the cheerful light. Father, these tears love challenges of endue. His funerals are yet before my sighed. The turtle pines in lose of her true mate. Who Can forget a well of such price? So plenteous are the springs Of sorrows that increase my passion, As neither reason can recure my smart, Nor can your care, nor fatherly comfort Appease the stormy combats of my thoughts, Such is the sweet remembrance of his life. Then give me leave, of pity pity me, And as I can I shall allay these griefs. BY this I hope my aunt hath moved the king. And knows his mind, & makes return to me To end at once all this perplexity. Lo where she stands. O how my trembling heart In doubtful thoughts pants within my breast. For in her message does rely my smart, Or the sweet quiet of my troubled mind. A resolution that resolves my blood Into the Ice-sie drops of Lethes flood, Dear Aunt, I have with patient ears endure, The hearing of my father's hard behest: And since I see, that neither I my self, Nor your request, can so prevail with him, Nor any sage advice persuade his mind To grant me my desire, In willing wise, I must submit me unto his command, And frame my heart to serve his majesty. And (as I may) to driven away the thoughts That diversely distract my passion, Which as I can, I'll labour to subdue, But soar I fear, I shall but toil in vain, Wherein (good Ant) I must desire your pain. Oh king, and father, humbly give her leave To plead for grace, that stands in your disgrace. Not that she recks this life: for I confess I have deserved, when so it pleases you, To die the death. Mine honour and my name (As you suppose) distained with reproach, And well contented shall I meet the stroke That must dissever this detested head From ̄ these lewd limbs. But this I wish were known That now I live not for my self alone. For when I saw that neither my request, Nor the intreaty of my careful Aunt, Could win your Highness pleasure to our will: "Then Love, heat of the heart, life of the soul, "Fed by desire, increasing by restraint, Would not endure controlment any more: But violently inforced my feebled heart. For who am I alas, still to resist Such endless conflicts? To relent and yield Therewith I chosen him for my Lord and pheare. Guiszard mine Earl that holds my love full deer, Then if it be so settled in your mind, He shall not live because he dared to love Your daughter. Thus I give your Grace to know Within his heart there is enclosed my life. Therefore Oh father, if that name may be Sweet to your ears, and that we may prevail By name of father, that you favour us. But otherwise, if now we cannot find That which our falsed hope did promise us. Why then proceed, and rid our trembling hearts Of these suspicions: since neither in this case His good deserts in service to your Grace, Which always have been joust, nor in desires May mitigate the cruel rage of grief. That strains your heart, but that mine Earl must die Then all in vain you ask what I can say Why I should live, suffices for my partly To say I will not live, and so resolve. Unkindly thoughts they are to them that live In kindly love. To take his life who is my love to me. If he shall loose His life, that is my love. I will go. I thank my father, and thee gentle squire, For this thy travel take thou for thy pains This bracelet, and commend me to the king. So now is come the long expected hour, The fatal hour I have so looked for, Now hath my father satisfied his thirst With guiltless blood which he so coveted What brings this cup? (ay me) I thought no less, It is mine Earls, my Counties pierced heart, Dear heart, too dearly hast thou bought my Extremely rated at too high a price. Ah my sweet heart, sweet wast thou in thy life, But in thy death thou provest passing sweet. A fitter hearce then this of beaten gold, Could not be lotted to so good and heart: My father therefore well provided thus To close and wrap thee up in massy gold, And there withal to send thee unto me, To whom of duty thou dost best belong. My father hath in all his life bewrayed A princely care and tender love to me: But this surpasses, in his later days To send me this, mine own deer heart to me. Wertenberg thou not mine, dear heart, whilst that my love Danced and played upon thy golden strings? Art thou not mine (deer heart) now that my love Is fled to heaven, and God him golden wings? Thou art mine own, and still mine own shalt be Therefore my father sends thee to me. Ah pleasant harbour of my hearts thought! Ah sweet delight, the quickener of my soul Seven times accursed be the hand that wrought Thee this despite, to mangle thee so foul: Yet in this wound I see mine own true love, And in this wound thy magnanimity, And in this wound I see thy constancy. Go gentle heart, go rest thee in thy tomb, Receive this token at thy last farewell: Thine own true heart anon will follow thee, Which panting hastes for thy company. Thus hast thou run (poor heart) thy mortal raze, And rid thy life from fickle Fortune's snares, Thus hast thou lost this world, and worldly cares, And of thy foe, to honour thee withal, Received a golden graven, to thy desert, Nothing does want to thy joust funeral, But my salt tears to wash thy bloody wound. Which to the end thou mightest receive, behold My father sends thee in this cup of gold, And thou shalt have them, though I was resolved To shed no tears, but with a cheerful face Once did I think to wet thy funeral Only with blood, and with no weeping eye. This done, forthwith my soul shall fly to thee, For therefore did my father send thee me. Ah my pure heart, with sweeter company, Or more content, how safer may I prove To pass to places all unknown with thee. Why die I not therefore? why do I stay? Why do I not this woeful life forgo, And with these hands enforce this breath away? What means this gorgeous glittering head attir How ill these billam nts of gold Thy mournful widowhood? away with them, So let thy tresses flaring in the wind She un dressesh her hair. Untrimmed hang about thy bared neck: Now hellish furies set my heart on fire, Bolden my courage, strengthen you my hands Against their kind, to do a kindly deed: But shall I then vnwreaken down descend worser? Shall I not work some joust revenge on him That thus hath slave my love? shall not these hands Fire his gates, and make the flame to climb Up to the pinnacles, with burning brands, And on his cinders wreak my cruel teen. Be still (found girl) content thee first to die, This venomed water shall abridge thy life, she takes a viol of boys n out of her poc ket. This for the same intent provided I, Which can both ease and end this raging strife. Thy father by thy death shall have more woe, Then fire or flames within his gates can bring: Content thee then in patience hence to go, Thy death his blood shall wreak upon the king. Now not alone (a grief to die alone) "The only mirror of extreme annoy, But not alone, thou diest my love, for I Will be copartner oh thy destiny. Be merry then my soul, canst thou refuse To die with him, that death for thee did choose? Maidens forbear your comfortable words. Where hope of help is lost what boots fear? May good or bade reports worser light the dead? And easy grief by council may be cured. In headlong griefs and cases desperate? The king? the tyrant king Yea, the murthrer of my love the dead fear not the force of me ̄ That neither cared for me Nor grieved at the murder of my love, My mind is settled, you with these vain words, Withhold me but too long from my desire. Depart you to my chamber. I will prevent Both you and him. Lo here, this hearty draught The last that in this world I mean to taste, Dreadless of death (mine Earl) I drink to thee. So now work on, now does my soul begin To hate this light, where in there is no love, No love of parents to their children, No love of Princes to their Subjects true, No love of Ladies to their dearest loves. Now pass I to the pleasant land of love, Where heavenly love immortal flourishes: The Gods abhor the company of men, Hell is on earth, yea hell it self is heaven Compared with earth. I call to wit h n, Heaven, said I? no, but hell record I call, And thou stern Goddess of revenging wrongs Witness with me I die for his pure love That lived mine. She lies down and continued ereth her face with her hair. Who stays my soul? who thus disquiets me? O father king Forbear your tears, your plaint will not avail. Yea therefore father gave you life to me, That I should die, and now my date is done. As for your kingdom, and mine own renown, Which you affirm dishonoured to be That fault imput it where it is, for he That slew mine arle, and sent his heart to me, His hands have brought this shame and grief on us But father, yet if any spark remain Of your deer love, if ever yet I could So much deserve, or at your hands desire, Grant that I may obtain this last request, I have enticed to forget her widows weeds, and burn in raging lust: It I nforst her father to deny her second marriage to any peer: It I allured her once again to try the Sour sweets that Lovers buy too deer. The County Palurin, a man right wise, a man of exquisite perfections: I have Like wounded with her piercing eyes, and burned her heart with his reflections. These two shall joy in tasting of my sweet, to make them prove more feelingly the grief That bitter brings: for when their joys shall fleet, their dole shall be increased without relief. Thus love shall make worldlings to know his might, thus love shall force great princes to obey. Thus love shall daunt each proud rebelling spirit, thus love shall wreak his wrath on their decay. Their ghosts shall do black hell to understand, how great and wonderful a God is Love: And this shall learn the Ladies of this land, with patient minds his mighty power to prove. From whence I did descend now will I mount, to Jove, and all the Gods in their delights: In throne of triumph there will I recount, how I by sharp reum nge on mortal wights, Have taught the earth, and learned hellish spirits to yield with fear their stubburn hearts to love: Least their disdain, his plagues and vengeance prove A dreadless heart delights in such decrees. Unhappy widow, wife, and paramour. My life I crave not, for it is not now In you to give, nor in my self to save, Nor crave I mercy for mine Earl and me, Who hath been slain with too much cruelty. With patience I must awhile abide Within this life, which now will not be long. But this is my request, Father I pray, That since it pleased so your majesty, I should enjoy my love alive no more, Yet nevertheless let us not parted be, Whom cruel death could never separate: But as we lived and died together here, So let our bodies be together tombde, Let him with me, and I with him be laid Within one shrine, where ever you appoint, This if you grant me, as I trust you will, Although I live not to requite this grace, Th'immortall Gods endue recompense shall give To you for this, and so vain world farewell, My speech is painful, and mine eyesight fails.